Looking forward to some 'R & R'

It is the time of year when we are all ready for a break. We have made it nine weeks under stressful conditions and it is time to rest. Although teachers will not have the same five-day break that students have, we look forward to a change of pace and some much needed time with colleagues for professional development. We know that sabbath rest is an important part of our lives as followers of Christ. Time to be away from work allows us to both focus more deeply on our relationship with God and to be refreshed so we can carry out the important work that He has called us to do. 

The second “R” normally stands for “relaxation.” I certainly hope we can all relax a bit this week, but I’d also like us to consider our responsibility. We have been so incredibly blessed to be in school for nine weeks of the school year so far. Although school is not structured how we’d like it to be, we are so thankful to be together, learning in the classroom. It is a credit to our community that things have gone so well and that we’ve made it through ¼ of the school year.

To get to this point, many have given countless hours above and beyond their normal job responsibilities. We are now asking that our entire community partner together to help keep students in school. As you likely have heard, positive cases in our area are on the rise. It is an incredibly important time for all of us to do our part. The health department believes that numbers are not growing because of students being in school, but rather because of the way many are gathering outside of school. If students are going to gather outside of school, please require that they do so safely, wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing in small groups. Students do this all day at school, so we know they can do it outside of school as well!

My prayer is that we are both rested and responsible this week as we have some time away from school. Thank you for your continued partnership and prayers!

—Brad